The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, recently completed a swim in every community pool within the Buloke Shire, which aimed to highlight the importance of retaining these important community assets.
These pools, built following the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, are a cornerstone of our communities and are a place for social connection, recreation, and celebration. However, declining populations and rising maintenance costs have placed their future in jeopardy.
Royal Life Saving research indicates that 68% of community swimming pools are aged over 50 years, with 40% set to reach the end of their functional lifespan by 2030.
“These magnificent pools are more than just places to swim—they are woven into the fabric of our communities. Losing them would be devastating, particularly if they are not replaced,” Ms Benham said.
“I’ve spent countless hours swimming in these pools, and I know firsthand how important they are to local residents. Our rural communities are already battling to keep people here, and removing vital social infrastructure like public pools would only make that challenge greater.
“By and large, residents support public pools and their maintenance and upkeep needs to be on the Government’s agenda.
“Too often, governments tend to tell us what we need rather than actually listening to the people who live here. But locals know how vital these pools are—not just for recreation and social connection, but for water safety and lifesaving skills.
“I’m also a certified AusSwim teacher, so not only do we need to highlight the importance of retaining our public swimming pools for recreation and social connection, but for many – particularly children and families – this is the only place they will ever be able to learn to swim. In Australia, I believe it is every person‘s right to learn to be able to swim.
